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Tonight I wanted to talk about the will and call of God. I want to teach for a minute. It's not anything super profound, but it's something essential. I want to remind those who are in a place of seeking what God is willing for them, or refresh to those who have been through it to teach others who are seeking and trying to decipher God's voice in their life. One thing that we do in our Daughter work in Troy is on Thursday nights we have bible study. The study we are doing is Exploring God's Word. Those who normally attend bible study are people who have been in church for years, but the idea behind this isn't just a refresher even though we all need that at times, but it is an example to us HOW to teach new converts and people seeking knowledge of God. So I want to follow in their footsteps tonight and teach to everyone for those who need the refresher, for those experiencing this right now, and to those who are discipling. Whenever we talk about the will of God or we pray about it we tend to speak about it as if it is something far off. It's a place to achieve. The will of God is what He wills for our lives. Whether that is what career we go into, the ministries we partake in, what we do in his kingdom to reach others, but first and most of all salvation. 2 Peter 3:9 says "the Lord is not slack concerning his promise as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us not willing that any should perish" He is not willing for us to perish, so he is calling us to salvation. The general will of God is what he wills for every individual; this would include steps of salvation and discipling. These are not the only things that he wills for everyone, but discipling is what I want to focus on. 2 Timothy 4:2 "Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all long suffering and teaching.” We should always be ready to share the word of God. We must do the necessary things to be saved, repent, be baptized in the name of Jesus, and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost and then you share. And this repeats you're saved and you disciple and then you disciple again and then you disciple again. This is what He asks of all mankind. Alright so why do we find that being in the Will of God is so distant? If you are being faithful, you've got your spiritual disciplines and you're sharing the gospel you're already in the will of God. Where it gets a little harder to understand is deciphering what he is asking YOU to do. Specifically you. Not everyone is called to sing. Not everyone is called to be a Sunday school teacher, not everyone is called to be a preacher, and not everyone is called to minister inside of a church building. We are called to be disciples of the word, but that is going to look different for all of us in this room. That is what the specific will of God is, it is what He wills for us as individuals. This is usually what we are seeking after right? Asking the Lord what we will do for him “some day” I think this is where we get tied up and things begin to seem overwhelming. Never did I think that I would be standing in front of people speaking. This is like the one thing that gives me the most anxiety. I can’t even play certain games because I have to stand in front of people because it makes me too anxious. In my carnal mind, Who do I think I am coming up here being the one holding the microphone? But it takes little steps and grabbing on to each opportunity thrown at you. A year ago I was at a concert at New Life and the Lord spoke to me and told me to go to Urshan. This is something that I had been contemplating and seeking his counsel on, but not in the same way He told me to do it. I knew that I was about to be asked to take a job promotion at work, and I had really been wanting to further my education, but I also wanted the apostolic teaching. So I had been looking into going to Urshan for my bachelors in organizational leadership because that would give me more of a business background and that's the field that I am in. While I was at the concert the Lord said they are going to offer you this job, but you’re not going to take it. You’re going to apply to Urshan and you’re going to get your bachelors in Christian Ministries. And I was like okay, but oh no. I had no idea what He was setting me up to do, I had been seeking guidance on what he wanted me to do for the kingdom and that was what he gave me so I was like oh no what is coming what else are you going to ask me to do. About a month or so later I went on my first Missions trip to San Diego which was such an amazing opportunity, and during the Trip the Lee’s had asked me to do a fiery five at one of the churches. I literally could have peed my pants But I did it and my whole trip I had been praying for a moment to understand why the Lord was leading me the way He was and Bro. Simoneaux came up to me and said as I was speaking the Lord said to him “Doesn’t she remind you of Nona Freeman” Scariest moment of my life, I went home after that trip and I listened to every one of her videos of her preaching I could find I bought every book she wrote that I could find She was like an insane next level Woman of God, an extraordinary preacher, her life was consumed with Jesus. For those who don’t know Nona Freeman she was a missionary in Africa with her husband and she was ANOINTED But as soon as I heard her speak I was like oh no there is no way I am going to live up to this I was like Lord your expectations better be low because I don’t know what anyone can reach how powerful and amazing Nona Freeman was. But from that moment that Bro. Simoneaux came up to me. I knew the Lord wanted me to preach in some way. This was confirmed again at NAYC and again at Hyphen retreat last year. Earlier I asked myself who do I think I am to come up here with a microphone, It doesn't matter what I THINK I am because to be honest I don't think I should be up here. I was seriously thrown for a loop when they asked me to do this. I was shaking in my boots. In preparation I literally asked myself who do you think you are going up there speaking in front of everybody like you know what you are doing? I never know what I am doing, but what I do know is that I am a child of God, I do know that I am called, and I do know that he has made me for such a time as this, to do exactly what He has called me to do. It doesn't matter what I think I am, it only matters that I know who he is and who I am in him. That's what it means to walk in the will of the Lord. It doesn't matter if you can't do it on your own, he is always right there beside you. He is constantly walking with us holding us by the hand. His plans aren't to trick you out of his will or make you so uncomfortable that you walk right out of it, but He is waiting for that moment you put your trust and your faith in him to say okay Lord I don't see the path, I don't feel like I can do this, but I know you'll fill in the gaps. I know walking with you and doing what you have asked me to do you'll show up and do the rest. In the Book we are teaching from in Refine Sis. Melinda Poitras gave the example in Matthew 14 when Jesus multiplied the 5 loaves of bread and the 2 fish. The disciples probably thought that Jesus was crazy. Jesus had told them “you give them something to eat” The disciples did not THINK they had what it took to feed the five thousand They were not given precise instruction or a detailed outline of what it should look like But they showed up with what they had They gave everything they KNEW whatever they KNEW they could do they gave to Jesus and He did the rest. You may not think you can do it, you may not think you have what it takes everyone else may think you do not have what it takes to fulfill your call, But you know you're saved by his grace You know that he has called you And you know that he is faithful and He will always be there to do the rest. It is a known call you keep doing what you know.